Honey Refrigerator Cookies

The war was on, and sugar was rationed. Aiming to do its patriotic bit, Gourmet printed an article showing readers how to use honey in place of sugar. The author of the article considered the shortage of sugar a good thing, harrumphing that until the discovery of sugar refining in the middle of the eighteenth century, cooks were very happy to rely on honey. He expressed the hope that "with the present curtailment in our sugar supply, honey will regain much of its former glory." That desire is probably why these cookies are so good; delicate and barely sweet, they are almost biscuit-like and go well with cheese. They also improve immeasurably with age.

In a sign of the times, the recipe ran next to a cartoon of a woman emerging from a car in front of a fancy restaurant, peering at the 30-minute parking sign and saying to her husband, "Sometimes I think you park in these restricted areas so we won't have time to order the deluxe dinner."

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon soda (see Recipe Notes)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup nut meats (see Recipe Notes)

Preparation

Cream together 1/2 cup each of honey, brown sugar, and shortening. Beat in 1 egg; then add 2 1/2 cups flour sifted with 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup nut meats. Shape the dough into a roll or loaf, or press it into refrigerator cookie molds. Allow the dough to ripen for a day or two in the refrigerator before you slice and bake it in a hot oven (400°F) for 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe Notes
1. The shortening should be at room temperature before beating.
2. "Soda" is baking soda.
3. Use 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.
4. Instead of pressing the cookies into molds, roll the dough into 2-inch-diameter rectangular logs, then slice and bake.

Recent Review

I think I cooked them a little too long - according to the recipe rather than shorter. The raw cookie dough had a much nicer rugelach-like taste than the cooked cookies.
Probably wouldn't make again, at least not baked for the same length of time.